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from
4th Brigade
to
Burma HQ

top secret
Flash

Intercepted enemy patrol this day. Patrol carried orders of British Command Burma -and contained complete order of battle Burma command
Consider the following information accurate

22 enemy formations face us at Mandalaby -mostly Chinese v-these appear to include..........

Burma Command diary
Gen Kawabe......

22!!!! -22 units in Mandalaby!! -holy crap! -what will Sawada do now!!!!

The Minister of production was almost shouting

22 units -nearly all Chinese!!!
Dont you see -if there are that many units there - then there cannot be any reserves left for Canton. It must succeed! It Must!. Let me say this........

Yammato cut him off

" I know perfectly well why Canton must succeeed - you have too many secrets there to fail. Your personal affairs do not concern me Minister. Only what will win us this war. China will not. Defeating the American fleet will. I will

You will donothing of the sort Admiral. Herbiesan is comfortable that all goes well with the war -and if you wish to see that grand Fleet actually built , he will stay that way.......

Angry silence, as two giants of the empire wieghed each other up.

Finally the Admiral spoke
"You have your divisions for 1 month my friend -just 1 month."

From Combined Fleet
to
Mobile Fleet

Sail at once Truk
Commence operations immediately for ocupation of Port Moresby, Rabual and Shortlands
Prepare for operations southern pacific.

regret shortfalls in Squadron pilot numbers - shortfalls to be made up from training schools -these pilots not to fly unless circumstances force the issue...

1/3/42

The decision made in the Imperial high command -the orders went out
The Minister of production dis release troops -not the division promised -just a brigade

Only 4 brigades would now be available for the operations in the south pacific -would it be enough

Yammato was detirmined that it would be -the full wieght of the mobile fleet prepared to sail

Another attack went in at Singapore -and by days end -both sides knew that only one more would be needed.
Christmas island was taken by the paras
Lashio was occupied in Burma

The southern Phillipines were finally secured -freeing up the 65th brigade, it loaded immediately for Truk
65th Brigade,
56th brigade
South sea detachment
and a imperial grd brigade.
This was "the southern thrust"

Eleswhere the war continued.

deep in the south pacific, the convoy plodded slowly ahead.

12 AK, full of troops -escorted by 6MSW.
Just after dawn smoke was sighted on the horizon. friend or foe?
The question was quickly answered, as a strange float plane drifted lazily over the convoy -the red rising sun plain to see by all on the ships.

The convoy immediately cracked on max speed -useless if the enemy were heavy units -and 2 of the MSW broke away -and charged towards the enemy

It took little time to identify their foes - 2 large armed merchant raiders -Hokoku Maru, Aikoku Maru -and the 2 MSW -the Tui, and the Inchkeith were badly outgunned.
But they would fight

On the merchant ships they could hear the guns firing on the horizon -see the columns of smoke -and wonder.
Nobody saw the end of the 2 MSW -but they did the job -delaying the raiders long enough so that by the time the long stern chase reached its climax -dark was all but hiding them.
Only 1 AK suffered a hit in the dark gloom, and the convioy managed to break away.

A small action indeed in the scheme of things. But a fully laden troop convoy -now safely delivered to Noumea -was going to have a great baring to the war down the track.

2/3/42
The war continued.
At singapore the bombers made what would be the penultimate attacks -no flak was now being offered by the defenders -all ammunition apparently expended.
At Balikapapan the deadly dance between PT boats and low level zeros continued -the zeros again winning this battle easily.

In China -probing attacks by the Jpanese to test the Chinese strength at Canton -formidable -but assumed to be weak in morale and supplies.

Radm Takagi felt torn by mixed emotions.
In 4 days his little task force would reach Japan -home at last
How he desired to see his home, and his Family.

But it was not to be.
The mobile fleet would sail as soon as he had transferred his flag -his new flag -to the Zuikaka.
How proud his Father would have been!

3 Carriers -under the Mighty Nagumo - smasher of Pearl Hbr and the American fleet.

But still -it would have been wonderful to have gotten home.

Flight log
Lt Yamato
98th sentai

Mission 25
Standard bombing run to singapore
NO FLAK -at last

100 plus of us - and no losses

Rumours abound of a move soon.
When Singapore falls -won't that be the end of this little charade?

Bump while the general gets over his terrible computer disaster!!

3/3/42
All of Japan bursts into celebration as the hated imperialists surrender in Singapore
115000 men are taken prisoner -they would prove to be a logistical nightmare for the Japanese conquerors.

The war also sees violent action at Balikapapan, as CL Naha, and 7 Dds hunt down and sink over the course of a day 3 of the 7 enemy PTs there, and despite the dutch sailors courage -no losses.

Balaikapan is now declared ready to be invaded -and the troops slated for this op begin to load in Soerabaya.

Down near Noumea a second raiding task force is intercepted - the Kinryu Maru, Kongo Maru are attacked by the CLs Leander and Achilles.

It is not a good engagement for the allied cruisers -spotted early, a long stern chase results -and despite 7 hits hitting the Kinryu -her large bulk absorbs them, and darkness again allows the ships to escape.
The days of good radar are yet to arrive.

Over 100 bombers continue to pound Manilla daily, Canton too is bombed daily -the 4 engine LIZ -slow, and vulnerable compared to the B17- is still very useful here.
The Navy however would far prefer to switch them to ASW work - so far Allied SS have been very rare in appearance -something many far sighted naval personal know will not last.

They celebrated in different ways

Private Ado -stunned at the fact that he had simply survived the final battle for Singapore -simply lay down at the first inviting place -and fell into the sleep of the exhausted.
LGEN Sawada simply grunted in pleasure at the news -and gave orders to his staff to move to the wharf -his HQ would immediately depart for Singapore.
He must inspect the divisions for himself - China beconned.
The sooner they were deployed, the sooner he would get them back.

LGEN Yamamoto, LGEN Mori, LGEN Takeuchi -of the 15th Army, drank a toast, a single toast to the victory -and then went to visit the wounded.
It was mainly their divisions that had carried the final battles - and the casualties reflected this.

All 3 already were becoming aware of the pressure from southern HQ -"to be prepared for further action at first moment"

In Contrast, 25th Army carried out celebrations in the finest traditions of the Army - they all got falling down drunk

Diary of herbiesan

Well, Singapore falls - at some cost.
I become increasingly nervous at the way ahead.
India calls - but can i risk it?

I know what will happen the moment the fleet enters the Indian ocean if I go down that route -the general will immediately attack somewhere in the pacific or the south pacific.

cannot afford that!
The Production Minister seems convinced - a mass attack at Canton -and a charge North to hengchow -and all of Southern china will be ours -mobile warfare, the siege broken at last.
Inviting!

I have urged yammato - capture the solomons as best he can - a big ask -4 regiments, but the fleet will back them.

I feel that the war is at a decisive moment!

Combat diary Burma Command - Gen Kawabe

.............and we grabbed Magwa today -oil facilities intact apparently
This track is hell -how far to moulmien?. No wonder the men travelled so slowly.
I must be very careful, so many units at Mandalaby - thank heavens Singapore fell at last -I need my 15th Army -and I need it now!.
Spirits remain high though -air support is good, supplys are good, ...............

from memeo from ADM Yammato to the minister of production


.................if the fleet is to continue to operate in the air threat that this new war has thrust upon it, then we must upgrade the AA power of our ships -especially DDs, immediately. You have had your way with the China invasion -I need to have mine in this.......

4/3/42
The dutch navy suffered the loss of ADM Dorman this day, as the PT boat he commanded was shredded by a DD at Balikapapan

In Burma the Japanese army was now being adequately supported - 65 bombers and 65 fighters attacking Mandalaby.

In Singapore the divisions shook themselves, and began the process of trying to organise themselves.
In the harbour large numbers of mines were discovered -they would have to be swept first.

Although the exhausted soldiers at Singapore could not possibly be aware of it, in various parts of the empire, the pieces were again moving.
The great plan was underway

extract from combat diary Gen Kawabe -Burma command


...............and its stirred up a hornets nest. They must give me my divisions now, I will certaintly need at least 15th army Corp. At least I am receiving decent air support, and the lack of air opposition is good. ..........



.................choices seem clear, 15th army corp to advance around the mandalaby defences to its west, and attack them from the rear................

.............I am so glad Singapore is freed..............

from Herbiesan
to
LGEN Sawada


........increasingly nervous about this China adventure. I think you should spare just 1 one of the divisions from Singapore for Burma at the moment. Use it to sieze Port Blair and Vic point -maybe even Akyab - keep up the impression of an Indian advance (although I really think that should have been the target now!)...............

Crush China, and all those Chinese units in Burma become irrelevant.................


.............Burma road must still be taken of course.................

5/3/42

This was a big day for many of this little tale

From Tokyo bay, the Mobile fleet deployed -destination south
RADM Takagi -now commander of CARDIV3, led them out, he had spent just 4 hours ashore, and less than one with his wife.
He would never admit it of course - but that single hour was more painful than it was worth.
Capt Umeya -still in command of the little Hosho, also was there. Again he knew that his little ship would be a lure, a trip wire. Somehow he thought that the chances of a bite were slim -the "fisherman" simply was to big to hide.

On the Akagi, Ens Hanamato eagerly looked forward to the morning, he was slated for his first mission -flying CAP -and promised many more.

LT Yamato, 98th sentai -was settling into a new airfield at Samah -preparing to bomb Canton. he was happy. The great big field was green, support was good -and no opposition was expected.

And for the men ot singapore, for Private Ado, for the still quarrelling generals, there was no time to rest -the transports already were starting to stream into the captured port.

very depressed. the general seems to have dropped off the planet.